


in another life i would be your boy

by captainhurricane



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Post-Canon, Unrequited Love, wedding scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 17:19:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16999269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainhurricane/pseuds/captainhurricane
Summary: the one that got away





	in another life i would be your boy

**Author's Note:**

> partly inspired by [this art](https://twitter.com/Crimson_Poison/status/1073656257867866112) and zuspacey's art

For years by now, Keith knows he’s been in love with Shiro. He’s told his friend that, watched the ominous purple slip back, momentarily to the Shiro Keith knows and loves - but Shiro has never said it in return. Shiro was by his side when Keith had nothing and no one and for that, Keith would forever be grateful. 

 

But he’s known since the space whale that they are not meant to be. 

 

He’s known it and he thinks he’s accepted it, he’s been held in his mother’s arms, heart already shattering into pieces, years before anything comes to fruition - now he’s older, wiser, he’s a leader, a Blade and a warrior gone through fire and ice and the frightening rage of the entire universe. 

 

But this? 

 

He thought he would always have Shiro. He watches Pidge go back to her family, Hunk go on fulfilling his dream, Keith watches Lance mourn and can’t offer a single word in comfort. There is Shiro, going onwards, settling on Earth like he never left. 

 

And Keith turns his gaze towards the stars and listens to them beckon.

 

Come home to us, Keith.

 

Come home. 

 

You belong with us. 

 

In the dark privacy of his own room, Keith whispers to his memory of Shiro’s arms around him, Shiro promising to never give up on him that Shiro should stay with Keith. With Keith and no one else. That Shiro has no answer, no promise fulfilled. 

 

Keith lets his tears stain his pillow and swallows them as he watches Shiro get married to someone else. 

 

He keeps a distance between them after the ceremony, smile small and tight when Shiro comes to him, face full of light and joy and life and god, Shiro deserves it, deserves to finally fucking rest and live but Keith is breaking shattering turning into ash. 

 

The tears come before Keith can even react and Shiro’s face falls. 

 

“Keith -” Shiro starts, but Keith offers him a shaky smile. 

 

“Congratulations. I’m happy for you.” _I love you. Stay with me. Stay with me. Come see the stars with me. Don’t do this. Don’t do this. Don’t do this._ “I hope you have peace in your life. You deserve it.” The words are stilted, clumsy, taste like dirt and Keith wants to spit them out but he doesn’t want to hate Shiro, doesn’t want to spit his bitterness into his friend’s face, even now. 

 

Shiro reaches for him, Keith steps away. 

 

“Keith - “ Shiro’s voice is thick. The wedding band on his ring finger glimmers, a mockery of the light Keith has seen in Shiro since forever. 

 

“Goodbye, Shiro,” Keith whispers. The stars keep on calling. 

 

Shiro pulls his hand back to his side. The distance between them remains. “Goodbye, Keith,” Shiro whispers, to a retreating back, the back of a stranger who was a friend and without whom Shiro wouldn’t be here today. 

 

Is this it? Shiro presses the heels of his hands to his eyes and takes a deep, shaky breath. 

 

Keith walks away, away, away, leaves behind friends and a life that was never his. He leaves behind Earth and goes to the stars, where he belongs. The universe wraps itself around him and loves him, except Keith is left cold because his universe is down on Earth, forever separated from him, too far away for Keith to reach again. 

 

The stars keep on calling. Come home, come home.

**Author's Note:**

> s8 broke my fucking heart and stomped on it. this is the only time i will acknowledge canon and after this, i will shove it up my ---. Were the writers smoking crack? This is how you leave things? This???????


End file.
